Tuesday, September 18, 2007

CASTLES IN THE SAND....

One evening last week, John and I decided to enjoy what remained of a gloriously warm September day and take a walk along the beach. The sun was getting lower in the sky and the sea positively sparkled against the deserted sands.

As we walked, we came upon a sand castle abandoned by children who earlier must have had a happy time building it. Now, the voices of children were gone, instead, all that could be heard was the gentle sound of the sea lapping on the shore and the cry of gulls overhead.

The incoming tide quickened as we stood there, gradually filling the moat, then, with each wave that followed, the castle became more and more engulfed. We watched for a few minutes more as turrets and walls collapsed with every incoming wave. Not wanting to see its final submission we walked away. We thought of the children who’d built it, probably snug in their beds by this time, maybe even dreaming of their castle, not knowing that the sand on which they had played earlier had now been reclaimed by the sea.

18 comments:

Hello Marion. It is morning here and I need to get myself going but saw that you stopped by my neighborhood tour. it would have been a bit longer but as I said my battery in my camera went out!! I thought this was a good idea but then again I was wondering just how much we should show because of the "bad people" that frequent these blogs anymore!! It is too bad that we have to stop and think about what we are saying or showing anymore.Your walk on the beach was nice!! I was just at the beach this past weekend and saw some kids building a big sand castle. What fun!! Hope all is well with you and John...Sandy

Also want to say that, yes, Elizabeth Goudge was describing Guernsey in that passage on my blog...the story of Green Dolphin Street is actually based upon something that happened to some ancestors of hers, as unlikely as the story sounds...if you read it you'll see what I mean. Another book of hers, Island Magic, is also based on Guernsey, loosely based on her mother's family, which came from there.

This was a lovely written post Marion. l could hear the water lapping and imagine the children tucked up warm in bed. ;)Glad you got to enjoy a nice wee walk along the shore. Our Septermber days are getting quite nippy up this way but today was not as cold- so l count my blessings. hugs and bests- keep well Lady of Wales.

As a lover of the seashore, children and sand castles, I thoroughly enjoyed this post.

The sand castles are so much like the things we strive for in life and then in the end, they don't mean anything. If we could just remember 'things are temporary'. Family, friends and kindnesses toward others are lasting testaments.....

When reading your wonderful post, Marion, I remembered the time our children built sandcastles when we were staying at the sea during our holidays. And I still see their disappointed faces when they discovered the following day, that all their buildings were gone. I guess this was one of their first experiences that nothing in life is endless...However they made a second effort, a third and fourth go in spite of this... just seeing that something is also worth to do although it won't last long. (Hm, difficult to explain in English).

It brings to mind my thoughts whenever I am at the coast, as I watch the waves roll endlessly into the shore. I feel so insignificant (but not depressingly so) in the overall scheme of things. No matter what happens in our daily lives, in our neighbourhood, our country, or indeed, even the world, those waves just keep coming in as they have done for countless years, and will continue to do so long after we have passed on. In a way, the permanency of this action is somewhat reassuring, I think.

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I live in a small Welsh village which is situated in the southern tip of the Snowdonia National Park. Its an area of true outstanding natural beauty. We have the Cambrian mountains to the east of us and the coast of Cardigan Bay out to the west. My husband and I moved to Wales from The Cotswolds in England 19 years ago. We bought the old village Police Station, which we have worked tirelessly renovating ever since. You could say its a real labour of love. I have retired after working many years in the travel business, this now leaves me free to pursue the many things in life that I enjoy.